Airbus A320-232 N496UA
3 August 2005 · Denver, Colorado, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 3 August 2005 at about 14:40 local time, a Airbus A320-232 registered N496UA was involved in an incident near Denver, Colorado, United States. 324 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:40
- Classification
- Incident
- Location
- Denver, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Denver International Airport (DEN)
- Coordinates
- 39.8617, -104.6731
- Aircraft
- Airbus A320-232
- Registration
- N496UA
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 121: Air Carrier
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Phoenix → Denver
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DFW05IA200
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 324 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 324 |
Probable cause
The captain's failure to maintain sufficient clearance while taxiing to an assigned gate, which resulted in a collision with an airplane that had been pushed back (and holding) from another gate. Also causal was the tug operator's failure to follow published company procedures resulting in the holding airplane being pushed back too far, which reduced wingtip clearance of the taxiing airplane.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
While taxiing east on Taxiway AA toward Gate A-48, an Airbus A320 collided with another Airbus A320 from the same company that had been pushed back from Gate A-40 and was holding on the ramp for the inbound traffic to clear. According to company policy, airplanes departing Concourse A were pushed back until the main landing gear wheels sat on the centerline of Taxiway AS, the northern taxiway. This policy assured airplanes taxiing on Taxiway AA (the southern taxiway) adequate wingtip clearance (about 30 feet), assuming their nose wheel stayed on the centerline. A witness said the holding airplane was pushed back too far from Taxiway AS and the taxiing airplane's nose wheel was on the centerline of Taxiway AA. As the inbound airplane taxied behind the holding airplane, its left winglet cut through the bottom section of holding airplane's tail cone. The flight crew on the inbound airplane recognized that the holding airplane was pushed back further than normal from the gate and elected to increase their wing tip clearance by moving to the right of the Taxiway AA centerline approximately 5 to 6 feet. As they approached the holding airplane, the captain reduced forward speed to a crawl, determined there was sufficient clearance between the two airplanes, and continued to taxi to their assigned gate. The flight crew onboard the holding airplane felt the airplane move slightly as the inbound airplane taxied behind them. Shortly after, both flight crews were notified of the collision.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-232 | N496UA | - | Minor |
| Airbus A320-232 | N472UA | - | Minor |
Other Airbus A320 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Sep 2005 | Airbus A320 | Los Angeles, California, United States | Jet Blue Airways, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jan 2004 | Airbus A320-214 | Paris, France | Lotus Air | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 2006 | Airbus A320 | Islamabad, Pakistan | AirBlue | Unknown | - |
| 5 Mar 2006 | Airbus A320 | Dublin, Ireland | Iberia Lineas Aereas de Espana | Unknown | - |
| 13 Jul 2004 | Airbus A320-233 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Ryan International Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 2006 | Airbus A320 | Shenzhen, China, China | China Southern Airlines | Unknown | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Jul 2005 | Cessna 150L | Rocky Ford, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Oct 2005 | Lancair LC-40-550FG | Steamboat Spgns, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Aug 2005 | Cessna 172RG | Fort Collins, Colorado, United States | Colorado Contrails Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 7 Aug 2005 | Sheel VANS RV-8 | Fort Collins, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 Sep 2005 | Cessna T207A | Telluride, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Feb 2005 | Cessna 560 | Pueblo, Colorado, United States | - | Fatal | 8 |